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Join the Sockalong!

Hello, and welcome to you if you've come to join the Sockalong!The Sockalong is designed for beginners who've never knitted socks before but have always want to have a go. From choosing yarn and needles to creating tension squares to determine your perfect fit, we're going to work through the whole process of knitting a top (or cuff) down, heel flap sock together - with lots of pictures! If you're already an experienced knitter and fancy joining in, it'll be lovely to have you along - there are no restrictions or entry requirements here other than being able to knit and purl. The rest of it I'll show you as we go along.These online tutorials will always be free and will always be here for anyone to use, although if you'd prefer the tutorials in paperback or Kindle format you can buy them here.You can join in with the Sockalong at any time. There's no rush and no time limit. If you've never knitted socks before, follow the tutorials in order so that you have everything that you need to hand before you're ready to cast on. Don't forget that you can ask questions whenever you need to, either through the blog or through social media - the links are below. Good luck, you're going to love your new hand-knitted socks!

Get your sock started! Now that you've got everything ready and you've done your tension swatch and worked out how many stitches you need (have a look at the tension tutorial if you haven't done that yet ...J), it's time to get that sock on your needles.

You can find the paperback and ebook versions of the tutorials here so that you can still knit socks when you're offline - they contain the same tutorials as you'll find on the blog, but you can carry them anywhere!If you're a Facebook user, you can join the Winwick Mum Sockalong group which you will find here - there's plenty of opportunity to post pictures, ask questions and connect with other sock knitters.There's also a Ravelry group too, which you can find here.Want a look at our Sockalong successes? Have a look at this blog post and be inspired - you too can have a fabulous pair of socks on your feet!Finally, if you need some ideas about the resources you're going to need, there are some examples here, although you can of course buy them anywhere!

This pattern uses heel stitch for the heel flap and gusset heel - in my opinion this is an easy one for beginners to start with and this type of heel fits most people. Once you understand the basic construction of a sock it's easy to change the heel if you want to xx

Thank you , am so excited, I just tried to join the face book page, but cannot find where to ask to join the closed group. I am on there as eclectichomelife. Have just ordered my wool and circular needles. I usually knit on dps, although I am more of a crocheter, but thought as it is your preferred method to give it a go, in for a penny and all that. am sooooo excited x

Selma, the "join" button is at the top of the Facebook page where the picture of the socks is, it's over on the right. You just need to click it and that's all you do. I'll be interested to see what you think of the circular needle - I much prefer it now to DPNs xx

This Sockalong is just in time for me. I've been knitting for some years so not exactly a beginner but I've never knit socks! Always felt there was too much going on on the needles, but I'd really like to try, and I got so excited by Lucy's post about the KAL today. Off to stare at stash and choose yarn :)

I think that knitting socks is all about confidence; they always seem very complicated but there's really not much to them. And it's a good excuse to use up some of your stash instead of staring at it! :-) xx

There are lots of different ways of creating heels, but I find the heel flap to be an easy way, especially when you're starting off with knitting socks. Fingers crossed yours work out well this time! xx

My sister very kindly knitted me a pair of beautiful socks and I would love to try myself. I am so looking forward to joining the sock-a-long thank you for the opportunity. I'm in Australia. :)Thanks so much Lizzi xo

Some people can manage with a 40cm circular, Suzie, but I think it depends on how many stitches you cast on. I'd suggest trying to get one no bigger than 30cm if you're going to use the short circular method xx

Hi! I'm new to all of this and joining in now! Finally got both my sock yarn and dpn's. Itching to get home and get started. Thank you SO much for all the excellent clear instructions. You've definitely gained a permanent fan!

will be socking along all the way from (believe-it-or-not) freezing Brasil. need some nice "made-by-me" wolly socks! Had to import the dpn from England since it is almost impossible to find nice yarn and good quality needles here, but now im all set to go! :)

Hi Christine, I am excited to find you and your blog! I've left a comment on your blog post via my iPad, I hope it hasn't got lost over the airways!! I am totally new to sock making and didn't think I could until And (on Instagram) pointed out they can be made without long, sticky out needles!! I've had major surgery and my tummy is way too sensitive for me to hold needles near it, one of the reasons I love crochet so much!! But I so love And's socks!!!! I can't wait to have a go, I want to make everyone in my family a pair of homemade/handmade with love socks!!! Thank you so much for being there, hugs Gez xx

Hello Danielle, thanks for visiting! As long as you can knit and purl then you should be able to knit a pair of socks - I'll show you how to do everything else. If you need to brush up on your knitting skills then YouTube is a good place to start - other than that, work your way through the tutorials and just ask if you get stuck! xx

Hi Christine, Thank you so much for your comprehensive instructions. I have practiced making a few socks but find I have trouble with the tension in the heel flap - it's always too loose. Do you have suggestions on how to remedy that? Another question-I would like to make socks for the guys in my family - one has size 17 (Canadian)/ 52 (European) feet!, and the others size 13 (Canadian) / 47 (European). I think UK sizing is similar to Canadian? How do I adjust your basic sock pattern for these sizes? And, one more question! since we live in northern Canada where minus 30C is normal in winter, I need to use thick yarn! Should I look for another pattern or is it possible to adjust your well-thought out and easy to follow pattern?? Thank you for any information you could give me!

Ooh, that's going to be a lot of knitting for those feet, Ruth! It's not difficult to adjust the pattern to suit bigger feet - if you have a read of the tension squares tutorial it tells you how to work out the number of stitches to cast on so you can make the socks for any size of foot. You'll definitely want to use thicker yarn than 4ply for those cold conditions. There's a 6ply boot sock pattern on the blog (look down the left hand side-bar in the "how to make" section) and you can use the same tutorials as for the 4ply (although obviously with fewer stitches). If you need thicker yarn even than 6ply, you should still be able to adjust the pattern using the stitch calculation in the tension tutorial, but if you're not confident doing that then there are 8ply patterns around - you could try Ravelry. Finally, your heel tension - it might be dependent on the type of heel that you're knitting. What types of heel have you tried before? xx

Thank you so much! I will try your suggestions. I know you recommend using wool with some nylon in it-can you recommend some brands that would work for 6 or 8 ply sock knitting? As to heel types I apologize but I didn't know there was more than one way. I believe it was wrap and turn? Are there others that are better?

Regia and Opal are good commercial brands that make both 6ply and 8ply yarns and they should be quite easy to source as I know they're sold internationally. There are lots of different types of heels and you could knit a fair few pairs of socks trying them all out! My favourite is the heel flap and gusset, and I think that's the easiest one to teach to beginners so all my tutorials are based on that one. You do have to pick up stitches but it's not as fiddly as the wrap and turn which can leave holes sometimes xx

It all depends on how fast you knit, Angela, and how quickly you manage to get through each section. It's not really possible for me to give you a definitive answer to this question as everyone is different, but 15 minutes a day should certainly be enough for you to see your socks growing quite quickly :-) xx

Dear Christine, i wanted to save this sockalong so that i can take home to read it and knit a sock since i don't have internet connection at my place but i am not able to save it if you cud kindly send a copy pls.

Hello, thanks for visiting! If you want a copy of the tutorials to keep at home, there is now a paperback and Kindle copy available at Amazon. They are set out a little bit differently by needle type instead of sock section but still contain the same information as the blog tutorials xx

Dear Christine I have been wanting to learn how to knit a pair of socks. When I saw Lucy'spair on Attic 24 (it was her blog that got me back into crochet and I have knitted in the past) I knew I had to have a go. So I been reading all your posts on the sockalong. I will equip myselfwith needles and sock yarn and work on tension and casting on. An inspiring blog! Thank you.

What a wonderful tutorial I have found today, it's amazing ~ dpn's, magic loop & small circulars ~ I'll never need look anywhere else. Thank you so very much I am so grateful ☺️ SharonMichelle (ravelry) x

Hi Christine, I have once tried sock knitting but alas the little short needles nearly caused me to do something nasty, so I am wondering if circular needles would be best, as I so want to 'succeed' also browsing the web I see mention of very reasonal priced yarn calle 'drops delight' as I am on a tight budget I wondered if this is any good? thank you for such an informative site, I wish I had known about it the first time I tried.... Regards, Michelle

It's definitely worth giving circular needles a go, Michelle - DPNs really can be fiddly! Drops Delight and Drops Fabel are both good for socks, although if you're keen on matching socks then beware as often it's very difficult to get a match. Having said that, the colours are lovely and it's a good-priced yarn for starting out with so I'd suggest giving it a go! If you're going to use short circulars, go for 30cm or less (less is good if you're going to knit children's socks) and don't be tempted by 40cm needles as they're just too long. You might prefer magic loop in which case 80cm is just right. Do let me know how you get on! xx

Yes, yes, come and join in! I saw your request tonight and you're in the group now. Your partner will love hand knits for his birthday - we'll definitely help you get a pair of socks on his feet! :-) xx

Hi Christine, I have finally gathered the supplies together and your book should arrive this week. I got the 2.5mm short circular needles and now that the wool has arrived I noticed on different balls the needle size varies from 2.5mm-3.5mm, should I now order the needles in different sizes, its all a bit confusing as 2 different colours of Drops Delight say different sizes needed. As a newbie I am struggling to understand what I should do for best results. Many thanks, Michelle

It will often give different needle sizes on yarn ball bands, Michelle, but don't worry - most knitters find that 2.5mm needles give them a good hard-wearing sock fabric which is why my tutorials are based on that. The best thing to do now is to work up a small tension swatch (that's the tension tutorial, it's on the blog if your book still hasn't arrived) and then you can work out what your stitch cast on should be. Most people tend to get 7-8 stitches per inch from 4ply on 2.5mm needles and I expect that you won't be far out unless you're a very tight or loose knitter, so it will all be fine! xx

Hi Christine,I have just got to the heel part of my first sock and am stuck dividing the stitches. I ended up with most stitches split but cannot stretch my stitches to finish the last four. Is there another method.Joolz

Hi Joolz, your heel flap is worked over half the number of stitches that you cast on, so I'm not quite sure why yours won't stretch. Can you email me a photo at winwickmum@gmail.com, or alternatively post it in the Winwick Mum Sockalong FB group so that I can help you? xx

Jooz, if you have a look in the tutorial for the heel (click on the Join the Sockalong picture in the top right corner of the blog page to find it), it shows you how to create SSK (which is just a flatter decrease than K2tog). Your stitches just stay on your needles as you're going to decrease one from each side on every other row to create the V of the heel turn. The first row is a set up row to get you into the middle, and then you start to create the V on every row after that. Hope that helps!

Hi Christine,Congrats on your Knitter of the year award!!I am having problems understanding your heel part of the sock etc.I think if I were to look at the actual pattern it might help. Do you have this so I can look at it and print out? I am excited about finishing my sock but the heal always baffels me? Thank you! Marie

Hi Marie - and thank you, I'm very excited about the award! You can download a copy of the pattern from this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7SYFMxZURQ0aXZZb19XNVVPZkE/view - there's a link to the pattern in the list above in case you need it. What is it about the heel that you're having problems with? If you need more help, you can email me at winwickmum@gmail.com or post in our lovely Facebook group - there's always someone around to help xx

Hello, Have just bought the DPN's and done my first ever tension square but could no for love or money match my yarn. There was yarn all over the kitchen, round around chair backs and on the floor and I could not get it. So, my first pair will not match....difficult to live with but they are a trial anyway. Your instructions are excellent and late as it may be, I have just started the rib....thank you.

Hello Liz! You might have one of those yarns that's just impossible to match - gradient yarns where the colours blend into each other are like that, some of the Drops yarns are difficult to match and you've got no chance with Crazy Zauberball! I think your socks will be fabulous anyway, and it's never late to join the Sockalong as it's always going :-) xx

No idea why any one wants identical socks?! It's far more fun knitting socks that are obviously from the same yarn but have different starting points. All the unravelling of yarn to get to the right place is very wasteful too.

That's the joy of sock knitting - it suits all sorts! The unravelled yarn is never wasted - it can be used in all sorts of other projects from blankets to leftovers socks - and if you can't use it, there's usually another knitter around who would be glad of the donation! xx

Hello from rainy California. I started with DPN and had a very big mess as the stitches kept falling off the ends. I have ordered a circular needle and I think I will be happier. I have used circular needles for larger projects and like them. Thank you for the very easy-to-read tutorials. Can I buy you a cup 'a.

Hello! I wonder if your DPNs were a little bit short - mine are quite long at 20cm and I know some people don't like them that long but my stitches never fall off! My preference is always for a circular for socks so hopefully you'll get on better with that. A cup'a would be very welcome, thank you :-) xx

Just discovered this group! I am excited to join, and have yarn and needles and am ready to start casting on! My preference at this time are 5" DPNs. I have started with on pair with magic loop, and even though I prefer using circulars for almost all most projects, I just love those little DPS needles!

Hello Diane, it's lovely to se you! We all have different preferences for needles for our socks, it's just a question of finding the one that suits you best. It's funny that you should go for DPNs after using circulars for most other projects, but if that's what you knit your socks on best, then that's how it is! :-) xx

Annie, I'll need some more details to be able to investigate this, such as where you are - can you email me directly at winwickmum@gmail.com, please? You are a no-reply blogger so I can't reply to the email you have already sent me. The Kindle book is showing up on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and the European sites this morning and Amazon always offer a range of prices in their "new and used" section including ridiculous ones that I hope no one would ever consider paying.

Like many others, I'm a newbie at knitting socks. When I first saw the 20cm circular needle, I though it looked ridiculous and that I'd never be able to use it. However, it works lovely!Very happy to see my first sock growing every few minutes :)Thank you for the very clear instructions and introducing me to this new addiction!

Hooray!!!! Just finished my 2nd sock and am soooooo thrilled with the result!! It's over 40 years since I attempted to knit socks and your tutorials have been so wonderful (my husband has been thrilled too as I don't make the 'clacking' sound each evening which he has to put up with!!)many many thanks Christine - you are an angel to make the instructions so easy to follow!! XX

Just found you thanks to a link from Lucy's (Attic24) site. Thank you for the sock pattern, so kind and generous of you that it is free. As soon as I have finished the cross-stitch I am doing (a barn owl from here http://www.xstitchbirds.com/Catalogue/barn-owl-large.htm) I shall have a go at some socks ready for the return of colder weather (21 degrees here today, so I have time!!). Can't wait to start. Hugs Mema

Hello from California. I would like to know how many inches you made the leg of the sock. I am not good at counting knitted rows and I did not take your advice to count my rows on the first one. I am loving this. Thank you!

Hello! My socks are about 6" from cuff to the start of the heel flap. It probably won't matter if you're a round or two out, but you should try to get it as close as you can or your socks will feel odd when they're on! xx

Thanks for the info, I can knit plain and purl so having a dive at the deep end and going for knitting a pair of socks! I'm offshore and may come for advice if that's ok! Never skipped a stitch before so need to look that up!

Just finished my first pair of socks (with help from my friend EVE)and I'm so pleased with them. Want to do them for my grown up children but they are both ultra sensitive to wool. I have tried to find wool-free sock yarn and only came up with Premier Wool and most are in the US and post is too expensive. Amazon doesn't have the right colour. Can I use normal yarn ?

Hi Jenny, well done on finishing your first socks, you should be super-proud of those! There is more wool-free sock yarn around these days, fortunately for those who can't tolerate wool, and it is available here in the UK too. You could try Berroco Comfort Sock; it's a nylon/acrylic mix but has been used quite a lot by people in the Sockalong Facebook groups and gets good reviews. You could also try an alpaca blend as alpaca fibre is hypo-allergenic and can usually be worn by people who don't like to wear wool. Pure alpaca will be too soft so you'll need something with nylon in, or possibly silk, to make it more hard-wearing. John Arbon and Town End Alpacas both produce sock yarn but they have a small amount of wool in them to help the yarn be more hard-wearing - you'd have to take a view of how sensitive your children's feet are to wool blends! Another option is a yarn with mohair in it - Whistlebare Yarns produce a mohair sock yarn which is blended with Wensleydale wool (wool again!) but is very soft and should be hard-wearing despite not containing nylon because of the mohair. Finally, you could look at cotton or bamboo blends - but do check the ball bands for the composition as pure cotton will become baggy very quickly and some bamboo yarns are mostly wool. It's worth googling the yarn blends to see what comes up - I'm sure you'll find something! I hope that helps! xx

Hi! I'm going through the sockalong-making my first pair of socks!!!- and I'm wondering: after the ribbed cuff, are your rounds of knitting in stockinette stitch? I seem to see the little "v's" of stockinet stitch, are my eyes deceiving me??

Hi Marie, and welcome to the Sockalong! Yes, everything after the cuff (apart from the heel) is knitted in stocking (stockinette) stitch, but because you're knitting in the round you only need to knit and it will work out without you having to do any purl at all. Magic! :-) xx

Hi, thank you so much for replying! I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... When I knit after the ribbing, it doesn't look like stocking stitch, unless I look at the inside of the tube of the sock. Is that normal? At first I thought it was my mistake and turned the leg inside out and started knitting but after the few rows of "v's" the stitches looked different! What do you think I can do?

Hi Linda, there isn't a toe up version - this is a cuff down tutorial for beginners who've never knitted socks before to help them understand the basics of sock knitting before they go and explore other methods. It sounds like you're already an expert - although it never hurts to check out other ways of knitting socks! :-) xx

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I have tried knitting socks before (I am a crocheter) and I never succeeded. It confused me no end. But with your pattern and instructions I have just finished my very first wonky super awesome sock including tiny holes and I can't wait to start the next one! I feel like a knitting sock ninja! Many thanks for all the time and effort you put in the writing of the pattern. It is fantastic and I am very grateful that you taught me hot to knit. All the best, thank you again, Melanie

I replied to you yesterday, Pamela, just after you left your question. You posted on the "Week 2 - Heel Flap" tutorial so that will be why you haven't seen your comment here. You can always email me at winwickmum@gmail.com if you have questions, or you can join our Facebook groups where you'll get more immediate answers as there's always someone around. I hope that helps! xx

Hi Christine: I've knitted socks using all three needle types but enjoy magic loop or the little circulars most. I do like knitting two socks at a time so they are a pair all finished when done, no second sock syndrome. But the little needles are fun to use also. I attempted to make a pair of socks a month last year but got waylaid by a diagnosis of colon cancer which was successfully removed, no chemo necessary, but set me back for a while. Now I'm ready to resume my quest and look forward to joining the Sockalong. Love your blog and your upbeat cheeriness.

Hi Joan, I'm so pleased to hear that you're on the mend and without having to recover from chemo too. Socks are the perfect recuperation project and if you've knitted them before, you'll have no trouble with the Sockalong pattern, although you can always shout if you do get stuck. It'll be great to have you as part of the Sockalong! xx

Hi Nicole, you're right, there is a difference in the way that it's written but it doesn't actually make any difference to the sock - you still end up knitting the heel flap in the same way so you'll get the same result. Your heel flap might not look as ribbed because of your yarn which does happen sometimes, but as long as you've worked the heel stitch for the heel flap then it will be absolutely fine :-) xx

Hello, I have just finished my very first pair of knitted socks thanks to your fantastic tutorial. I used Mind the Gap, a lovely self striping yarn and the socks came out a dream!I cannot thank you enough! I am already planning my next pair of socks - and the pair after that! Thank you! Anna x

Hi Christine. Following your brilliant tutorial (and now the book!)I am the proud owner of one complete practice sock and a pair of socks that are actually finished. I'm a hooker at heart but only ever knew how to knit with one long straight needle stuck under my armpit (my Northern Granny taught me so I don't know if it's a particularly northern way of doing it). I bit the bullet at Christmas and taught myself to knit on teensy circular needles using the Portuguese method (very easy for any new knitters). I cannot get the hang of multiple DPNs no matter what I do so I now do the toes using the magic loop method. It works for me!Thank you for the brilliant inspiration and tutorial. Only trouble is, I've just had a slight accident online and ordered enough yarn to make 4 more pairs. Oh dear...... Jo x

Hi Christine....hmmm, what have you started? I too am a hooker at heart but I've wanted to knit socks for so long...I've just ordered the yarn, needles and dpns!! Your blog is inspiring and how hard can it be?? lol

Hello there Christine, just wanted to thank you for inspiring me to pick up my needles and give it a go! I've not knitted anything since my grown up children were babies and to be honest I was pretty lousy at it then. I recently learned to crochet and discovered your blog and wonderful tutorials via attic24. Thanks to you I have just completed my second pair of socks and have ordered enough sock yarn to keep me busy for quite some time, I'm definitely addicted...........I have a feeling everyone I know will be getting socks this Christmas ��

Hi Claire! I'm so glad that the Sockalong tutorials have helped you, and there's definitely something special about receiving hand knitted socks for Christmas! Sadly, there is no cure for the need to buy sock yarn that comes over us once we're a few rounds into our first pair - I keep thinking I should write a disclaimer but there are worse habits to have! :-) xx

Hi Winwick mum. I tried on my first sock before decreasing for toe and it seemed ok. But now I have decreased for toe it fits perfectly on my little toe side but my big toe sticking out quite a bit. Not sure whether to finish with Kitchener stitch and then see or, pull out all decreasing and increase length Or can you just add more rows before Kitchener finish.

I think my problem may be that while my feet are small in length they are probably broader in circumference and so that has taken up some slack

Maybe i will give this first pair to my 94 year old mum who has same foot length but skinner feet.

If you can, I'd take it back to before the toe decreases and increase the length so that your sock fits your foot perfectly. Usually you start the decreases about 5cm from the top of your big toe (remembering to measure when you're standing up) but you'll be able to adjust that for your own feet - the decreases as written take up 4-5cm depending on the yarn so you should be able to work it out quite easily. Hope that helps! xx

About Me

Hello! I'm glad you've found me! I'm Christine. I live in Winwick, a small village in Cheshire, and this is where I write about what makes me happy: my family, knitting, gardening, home-making, enjoying the outdoors. I hope your visit makes you happy too!